End the call, and check on a number nobody gave you
End the most convincing telephone call there is, and check within two minutes whether anything was really wrong.
It begins politely. The caller knows your name, possibly your address, possibly what you paid the energy company last week.
The counter is one move, every time. End the call. You are not being rude, and a genuine caller will not mind.
Then call your bank on the number printed on the back of your card. That number came to you from the bank itself, on a piece of plastic, so nobody can have arranged where it goes.
Key points
- End a call that asks you to move money, without feeling rude about it
- Explain why the number on your screen is not evidence of anything
- Call back on the number from your card, and ask for a note on your file
What to remember
- Hanging up on your bank costs nothing. Not hanging up on a fraudster costs everything.
- What a caller knows says nothing about who they are.
Try this
Turn your bank card over and read the number out loud. Then save it in your phone as a contact, named after your bank.
Practice: End the call, and check on a number nobody gave you. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.